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Raised bed around tree mistake

ez9458ez9458 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
A few years ago I made the mistake of putting a raised bed around a 37 year old maple tree in our yard. Last year I noticed it had less leaves than the other trees in the neighborhood. I dug some of the dirt away from the trunk after being told that may be causing the problem. This year I’ve noticed the other trees leaves are out and this tree only has buds. I’m wondering if it’s too late to save the tree. I’ve dug back some more of the dirt but short of that I didn’t know what else I should do.

Posts

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    Not sure about soil, maybe it has the same affect, but for two years I used to throw my grass clippings around the base of a Lilac tree and one day it suddenly keeled over. On inspection there was so much heat coming from the grass mound around the tree it had rotted through the trunk.

    Maybe this is what's happening with the soil around the trunk of your tree.

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it has buds showing, it may be fine and will come through. It's never a good idea to bulk soil up around the base of a tree trunk. Light mulches of soil or compost now and again will do no great harm, but once you start adding more than that, it becomes a problem due to the wet soil lying against it. It's more of a problem with deciduous trees too, because moisture gets in more easily when they're dormant.
    Not much you can do except wait.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    edited May 2021
    How high did you raise the soil level?
    It's recommended you add  5cm or so a year around the trunk, but its not just the trunk that matters, the fine feeding roots that are near the surface shouldn't be buried deeply  either as they need air, although if you did this a few years back the roots might have grown up for air!
    Trees don't instantly react to bad growing conditions unlike a perennial plant.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited May 2021
    Agree it's mainly the affect on the fine roots - suffocating and killing them by burying them. People sometimes put a ring around the trunk so they can raise levels, but this doesn't help the poor roots. But soil built up against the bark, potentially causing rot, can't help either... The tree's water/nutrient transport system is just under the bark.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • MolamolaMolamola Posts: 105
    I've read that when planting trees, it's very important to expose the root flare - where the trunk starts to broaden at its base and you see the top of its roots.  Otherwise, the trunk could rot, and there could be girdling roots (roots that develop in circles around the trunk and eventually cut off the supply of nutrients). 

    If a tree has been planted too deep, roots might start developing above the flare. Then you need to expose the flare and remove these roots. I've read about this being done to Japanese maples in containers, but am not sure about trees in the ground.

    I would expose the trunk down to the root flare and clear the area away to avoid further rot.  If you go to arboretums, you see that they often leave an area of dried leaves or other mulch around the root area, and keep this clear of planting and grass. 
  • ez9458ez9458 Posts: 2
    Thank you for the advice. Should I add fertilizer and if so what kind? 
  • MolamolaMolamola Posts: 105
    I wouldn't fertilise until the tree has stabilised and is putting on healthy growth, but others more experienced than me might have other views! 



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